Where Do You Get the Bulk of Your Music?

[Bruiser Chong]

Are you a brand-new type of guy (or gal)? A used bin/rack resider? A downloading, thieving piece of shit?

 

It's fun to look at my modest CD collection and see the influence the Internet has had on it. I've got most of the shitty albums I bought during my teenage years when getting music for free was still relatively unheard of. Then there's a pretty big gap in albums from the early 2000s where I'm not sure I bought more than an album or two annually. Finally, there's a decent amount of albums from recent years I bought because I wanted those poor artists to have my money.

 

That said, most of my music "collection" is of the downloaded variety. And that makes me sort of sad. I, in theory, own OutKast's entire discography, but don't physically own of their albums. That's shady of me. But damn prices on unopened albums are still pretty shitty. DVDs drop in price over the years, but good luck walking into a Best Buy and grabbing Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele for less than 15 bucks.

 

I'm just rambling now, but I guess the point is that I'll start buying more albums. Just not new.

[Corey_Lazarus]

Newbury Comics or online shops. I hate downloading songs, legally (iTunes or otherwise) or illegally, because the bulk of the bands I listen to are either self-releasing their works or on small enough labels that provide good enough music for me to support everything corporate about it. There's only been three full albums I've ever downloaded (Gwar's Ragnarok and America Must Be Destroyed; Send More Paramedics's A Feast For The Fallen) entirely, but that's because the albums were nigh impossible to find online.

 

I think the major factor is that while downloading can seem cool, it helps immensely to see the album art, the label the band/artist is on (particular if they're signed to a niche label), and have the possibility to look through the billfold and view the artwork. Bands and labels put forth an effort to press the discs, record the music, and put together the artwork for the album, and so I feel as though it's my duty that if I'm going to listen to it I should pay for it.

 

That and I need a hard copy of my music. I've had computers die on me before, or have music files get erased accidentally, so having a hard copy at my disposal is helpful. Yes, I know I could always burn a copy, but plenty of bands include "hidden tracks" between songs that are harder to burn than just "drag and drop" CD editing software.

[Smartly Pretty]

50% of my CD's are stolen from my older brother, the other 50% I downloaded. I usually google search the album alongside "blogspot.com" which usually leads me to some asshole who has the whole cd for download on his blog.

 

Now that I think about it, 50% of my everything is stolen from my older brother.

[haws bah gawd]

I get mine from various message boards and such. I mainly listen to European Power Metal, and a lot of it is unfortunately impossible to find in the record shops around here.

[Guest Tzar Lysergic]

I'm lucky enough to have a fantastic friendly local music store with two locations, and different good things at each. They have loads of terrific used cds, especially metal stuff from people that either get tired of it and go broke and sell everything for meth.

 

Also, the Dylan divider is as long as my arm.

[Retard Girl]

Newbury Comics....

 

 

that place is awesome. i feel bad for people that don't live in the area (though i've pointed a great deal of people to their site).

 

i rarely buy albums new because they're well expensive. so it's always a big deal if i actually purchase a new album. then it's even more rare for me to buy an album that has been newly released, as i tend to buy older stuff.

 

i get a large chunk of my cd's from thrift stores, yard sales, used cd shops, etc. i am also a believer in buying the whole thing because there's nothing like actually having it in your hands, reading the inner sheets, the artwork, and of the like... an experiece one cannot get by downloading an album.

 

oh, i do download things. mostly i download one or two songs from an artist where i wouldn't bother buying a whole cd just for one or two songs. occasionally i'll download an album but it's usually either hard for me to find or from a band that i really love. like i downloaded Weird Al's early albums, to close up some holes in my collection (which is only three cd's), and i downloaded a few Sonic Youth albums, because they have seemingly thirty and i only own four.

 

and i've been doing a bunch of borrowing cd's from the library and ripping them onto the computer. this is the modern version of what i did as a kid, which was borrowing a tape and dubbing songs onto a blank cassette. good times, great memories.

[C Dubya 04]

I generally now buy complete albums off of ITunes. I don't like stealing entire albums, especially if it's a band that I like. I can afford an album, so I like to support the band.

 

If there is a song I want, but not the rest of the band's shit, I'll download it off of some blog.

 

I also use emusic for some stuff. I have a subscription there for a certain amount of downloads a month. It's only indie label shit though.

[Bruiser Chong]

I don't understand the logic in buying complete albums on iTunes. New albums aren't usually cheap, but the difference in cost between the tangible album and the iTunes version is minimal. Why not just shell out an extra couple of bucks and own the real deal, complete with artwork and linear note goodness?

[C Dubya 04]

I now listen to my IPod about 75% of the time when I listen to music, so it's easier to just download from Itunes. Plus, albums are generally 10 bucks there, which is usually cheaper. And you get the album instantly when you want it, no leaving the house.

 

Also, I've always found album artwork and linear notes to be pretty useless. Jewel cases just add unnecessary clutter too.

[cbacon]

Yeah i've never understood that either.

 

I get most of my music via message boards, torrents and when all else fails, soulseek.

[Mik]

I'm strictly digital with a car iPod, iPod for the Hi-Fi in the living room, iPod for the gym, and iPhone for everyday stuff like riding the bus. I have absolutely no use for physical CDs.

 

I get 75% of my music from torrents these days and the other 25% off iTunes. I don't mind spending the money but it's hard not to download the torrent when you can get the album weeks and sometimes months before you can buy it. I want the music as quickly as I can get it.

[Edwin MacPhisto]

DVDs drop in price over the years, but good luck walking into a Best Buy and grabbing Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele for less than 15 bucks.

I know you were just picking an example, but I see Supreme Clientele for $12 at big box stores all the time. I don't think it retails for more than that.

 

My music consumption has dropped off sharply over the past 4 months. I attribute this mostly to a shift in offices--I used to commute 30 minutes on the subway each way, and now it's about 10. A lot less time for listening. Usually though, I just steal a ton of stuff and then buy the albums I really like. I bought 40-50 albums every year in college, largely because I was a 10-minute walk from a fantastic local music store that had a killer used selection, all the rare stuff I wanted, and good prices. It's a lot easier to go buy music when you aren't in an office from 9 to 6 every day.

[Bruiser Chong]

You're lucky then, Edwin. I've come close to buying SC several times over the years because it's the only Ghost album I don't have. But I've yet to see it in stores around here for less than $15. I was ready to buy it one day at Best Buy because I needed to get cash back for something unrelated. I backed off when I saw it was $15.99.

 

P.S. I later found out that, contrary to my earlier belief, Best Buy doesn't even offer cash back, so it wasn't a very good visit, to say the least.

[FroGG_NeaL]

I get mine from blogs, message boards, Budget - the local bong/record store, and Target for new shit 'cause it's always on sale there for like 10 bucks.

[tominator89]

bit torrents

[Nighthawk]

There's good record stores here, I can find pretty much anything used.

 

I don't download much... I'm not sure what it is, but I have this thing where I enjoy owning something and having the packaging. It's why I'll buy porn I could download for free too, at least partially.

 

My friends and I will trade burns a lot, though.

 

Once in a while I'll physically steal cds from the store.

[Bruiser Chong]

I'd probably buy a lot more, but there's only one record shop left in the area. My mom knows the owners quite well and I like to stop in a pick up vinyl and the occasional used CD. But support your mom and pop businesses be damned, I just can't shell out MSRP for anything.

 

I do live within driving distance of Ann Arbor and Lansing, though, so I don't have many excuses not to hit them up except for the fantastic gas prices.

[MFer]

Usually I download songs...I still buy CD's every once in a while though if it's one I really want.

[Steviekick]

The majority of the music I buy is second hand. There are a bunch of great used CD/record stores in New Jersey. I'd rather wait to find a cheaper copy than buy something new. I pretty much listen to music on my iPod, so once I rip the album it gets put away on my CD shelves. It takes up space, but I get pretty dorky and like looking at my collection. My LPs are all in crates, in case you were wondering.

 

As far as buying new releases, I'll pick them up at Best Buy or Target if they are on sale. Century Media usually has great sales, and I'll do a mass purchase from them to catch up on my metal releases.

[AnnieEclectic]

Put me in the 'mostly digital' category.

 

I own zero CDs.

 

I own about 23 some odd vinyl albums (including the new TMBG vinyl/iTunes only album "The Else")

 

I have the discographies of any japanese band I like on my iPod, even then I haven't even touched 50 gigs of space on the thing.

 

If music went all digital with vinyl for us record nuts - I'd be set. Bring on the future and the past!

 

-Annie

 

 

p.s. random side note - Edwin got me into Modest Mouse about 4 years before FNX up here started playing them. Then they got super big. I generally trust Eddie Mac's taste in music.

 

Women? Not sure... but definitely music.

[nl5xsk1]

Other than a few bands that I like to support by actually buying their CD's in a store, I'm at the point that I download everything that I want or need. Most of what I'm downloading are older releases, anyways, so it's not like I'm really effecting their status on the Billboard charts or anything like that.

 

And most of what I download is from blogs or message boards.

 

The exception to my "download everything that I want or need" decree is vinyl. There are a few record stores that sell good, old vinyl, so I still buy those occasionally.

[Youth N Asia]

bit torrents

 

Same. I've just stopped paying for music really

[Bruiser Chong]

What thing record shops and the like can't provide me with are instrumentals for full albums. Thanks to torrents, I'm currently enjoying instrumentals from the complete Aquemini album. And it's glorious.

[FroGG_NeaL]

Actually you can buy instrumental versions of a lot of mainstream hiphop albums, as well as accapellas.

[Bruiser Chong]

I know, I was just trying to justify stealing. Now my face is red. Thanks.

[Nighthawk]

I have the opposite problem. I feel bad about how much I buy, when I'm supposed to be this nocareever type of guy, which is basically the only reason I'll shoplift it.

 

I do legitimately have OCD, fairly severely, and I think that might be part of why I like my packaging.

 

Re: Instrumentals, I like those too. I get all of Dan the Automator's. An Automator produced album is almost like two albums, the regular and the instrumental. They're usually equally enjoyable.

[swan]

I got to own the actual CD. The Omega store is the place to be:

http://www.theomegaorder.com/

[FroGG_NeaL]

I have to own a copy of albums, comic books, books, movies, etc. as well.

 

The thing is, stealing the shit is easier and cheaper. And I'm lazy and poor, so that works out perfectly.

 

And Bruiser, I wasn't callin you out, homey. Just givin you the heads up that you could buys them shits if you wanted real copies of them.

[Guest Teal-y Dan]

buys them shits

scanners gif

[tekcop]

I download music from various places already mentioned in this thread, but I occasionally buy CD's of artists I really like. I'll also pick up any Vinyl I run across that looks interesting on my bi-weekly excursion to Goodwill.